Aktuality

AARP launches the Network of Age-Friendly Communities across the United States

In affiliation with the World Health Organization, AARP launched on April 4the the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities across the United States.

The goal of this programme is to educate, encourage, promote, and recognize improvements that make cities, towns, and counties more age-friendly for their residents.

An “Age-Friendly Community” entails an inclusive and accessible urban or suburban environment that encourages active and healthy aging. AARP’s Network will focus on improving the elements of communities that enhance independent living with a goal of having older citizens take a more active role in their neighbourhoods.

In 2012, AARP will launch this programme in seven U.S. states (Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania) and the District of Columbia. Communities participating in this initiative commit to a cycle of assessing and improving their age-friendliness.

The AARP programme is affiliated with the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, an international effort to get cities and towns prepared for two significant ongoing trends in the world: rapid population aging, and increasing urbanization.

The AARP programme will feature training, peer-to-peer sharing of best practices, an end-of-year event, and connections/learning’s from international cities through the WHO affiliation.

Headquartered in Washington D.C., AARP is a non-profit, nonpartisan social welfare organization founded in 1958 seeking to help people live longer, healthier, more financially secure and productive lives by identifying and sharing the best ideas and practices on key policy issues. AARP has well-established relationships with a number of international organizations, including the United Nations and the European Commission, as well as individual governments and grass-roots organizations.